MusicTech review the Juno-G.pdf - Roland UK

MTM46.Review Juno 11/28/06 5:32 PM Page 2
As well as being an advanced
synthesizer, the Juno-G is capable of
recording four audio and 16 MIDI
tracks into its internal memory.
Onboard MIDI sequencing is nothing
new, but the Juno-G enables you to
feed in audio from an external source –
such as vocals or guitars – and use the
faders on the front panel to incorporate
it into songs, which you sequence on
the keyboard in Song mode. The
recording process takes a little getting
used to due to the proprietary
interface, but it works well once you
get the hang of it. Considering all the
other features on offer, the ability to
record audio is a surprising but
welcome bonus.
Another use for the audio
recording tools is, of course, to record
or import loops and samples of your
own and assign them to keys, giving
you a sampling keyboard in addition to
a synth and sequencer. The sample
editing functions are well
implemented, but again, it is a lot
easier to perform this task using the
remote editor software.
Juno the difference?
The Juno-G is an interesting mix of the
very immediate and the highly
advanced, and you can use it in either
way. On the one hand it’s a hugesounding
performance synth with
superb real-time controls and effects.
On the other hand, the depth of the
editing functions on offer is frankly
astonishing – as you will realise from
the thickness of the manual alone.
Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into
creating the sounds, which while
leaning towards the electronic side of
things, do a decent job of covering
many acoustic styles as well. The
preset splits and layers are especially
fun to work with.
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The ability to expand the RAM and
add an SRX Expansion Board as well
as a memory card makes this one of
the more flexible instruments on the
market at this price – and that’s before
you get to the audio recording
facilities. But whichever of the
Juno-G’s many features you use the
most, you won’t be stuck for ideas
with this inspirational synth. MTM
Measuring Up
There are one or two similar products on the market in a similar
price bracket. The Alesis Fusion 6 HD (£800) has sampling
capabilities, multiple synthesis types and an internal 40GB hard
drive for storing data. The Korg Triton TR61 (£900) also has
sampling capabilities, USB integration and a wide range of sounds.
Roland’s own SH-201 (£500) lacks the sampling or any serious
sequencing features, but it’s a straightforward synth that also has
computer integration and a great collection of sounds.
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WHY BUY
■ Excellent, useable sounds
■ Splits and layers work well
■ Fairly portable
■ Well-implemented, hands-on
sound-shaping controls
■ Very expandable
■ Audio recording features broaden
the appeal
■ Computer integration is good
■ Bundled with Sonar LE for PC
WALK ON BY
■ Easier to use remote editor for
complex editing
■ Some acoustic sounds less authentic
V#2D+/T
An excellent performer with more
features than you can shake a stick at.
The Juno-G is very playable, but it has a
lot of depth, too.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★
METHOD SPOT
The Juno-G is a very
hands-on instrument,
and in Perform mode
you can take the
patches you have
created or edited in
Patch mode and start
to layer them together
and split them over
the keys. Thanks to
the excellent onboard
effects you can route
different sounds in
different ways. For
example, you could
have beats assigned
to the low end, pianos
in the middle and
synths at the top.
What’s more, the
Juno-G enables you to
sample your own
material, so some
keys could be
reserved for playing
loops, samples or
entire performances.
BUY THIS PRODUCT AT WWW.MUSICTECHMAG.CO.UK/STORE